West Earlham Infant and Nursery School

West Earlham Infant and Nursery School continues to uphold the high standards established at its previous outstanding inspection. The school has effectively built a strong community where pupils feel safe, happy, and engaged in their learning. Noteworthy strengths include the school’s ambitious curriculum that supports the emotional and academic development of its pupils, particularly in language and reading, which is crucial given the number of students with delayed speech and language upon entry. The school's dedication to inclusive education, particularly for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), has been particularly commendable, ensuring all pupils have access to a well-rounded education.

Strengths

• High expectations from teachers contribute to excellent pupil behavior.
• Strong focus on mental and physical well-being of pupils.
• Effective language development support for children from Nursery onwards.
• Consistent and clear approaches to teaching reading.
• Pupils demonstrate good fluency in reading at an early age.
• Rigorous curriculum evaluation ensures effective learning outcomes.
• Outstanding support for pupils with SEND.
• Innovative solutions for accessing curriculum for pupils with complex needs.
• Rich extra-curricular activities enhance cultural knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at West Earlham Infant and Nursery School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 26.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.8% of pupils at West Earlham Infant and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 West Earlham Infant and Nursery School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.8% of pupils at West Earlham Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 West Earlham Infant and Nursery School received £10,463 and spent £10,095 for each of its 234 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £76,000 (£323 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Norwich · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is West Earlham Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Earlham Infant and Nursery School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was West Earlham Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

West Earlham Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does West Earlham Infant and Nursery School have?

West Earlham Infant and Nursery School has 281 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Earlham Infant and Nursery School cover?

West Earlham Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is West Earlham Infant and Nursery School?

West Earlham Infant and Nursery School is at Scarnell Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR5 8HT.